Special package for nasal filter mats



Jam. 3, 1939. w. c, LAWRENCE.' JR' 2,142,276

SPECIAL PACKAGE FOR NASAL FILTER MATS Filed July l, 1957 Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITEDY STATES SPECIAL PACKAGE FOR NASAL FILTER MATS Wayman C. Lawrence, Jr., Columbus, Ohio, as-

signor to The Nasal Filter Company, Columbus, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 1, 1937, Serial No. 151,510

Claims.

This invention is a special package for the convenient storage and handling of filter mats of the type designed for use in nasal filters.

Nasal filters of a type and size capable of being inserted into the human nostrils, are coming more and more into general use for the treatment and prevention of hay fever and other pollen fevers, as well as for protection against irritations and infections due to inhalation of dust, smoke, lint, dirt and other foreign matter. Such a lter,

now on the market is described and claimed in Letters Patent No. 2,046,664 dated July '7, 1936,

and possesses the characteristics, among others,

of employing removable lter mats which are supported at operative positions Within the respective nostrils of a human being, so as to intercept foreign particles which might be carried in during inhalations of the wearer, and yet so constructed and arranged as not to interfere with the normal breathing functions.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a suitable container for a plurality of said filter mats, so that the latter may be stored in numbered quantities for convenient sale as replacements. A further object is to provide a tubular container for the mats so constructed and arranged as to carry a maximum quantity of the latter, and in which the mats may be packaged in such manner that each one may be readily separable from the rest, so that the mats may "d be individually removed from the container without materially disturbing the others.

in an application for patent filed July 1, 1937, Serial No. 151,511, entitled Mat for nasal filters and method of making the same, is described and claimed a method of manufacturing i'llter mats of the type herein involved. Briefly reviewed, the method involves the assembly of a pile of superposed sheets of animal fiber and alternately interposed spacer sheets of paper, the pile being placed in a suitable cutting box and so secured that the liber layers are held against movement in all directions. While the superposed sheets are so held, a hollow die punch of 5 the desired contour is forced downwardly through the pile, and in the act of cutting the mats of the desired shape from the superposed sheets, the cut-outs or blanks are forced upwardly into the die. While retained within the die in the form of a superposed stack of blanks and alternate separators, one end of the die is placed in communication with a tubular container and the stack of blanks carried by the die is forced of the latter into the container. The present invention comprises the iinal package of the container and filter mats which results from the foregoing method.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing:-

(Cl. 20G-63.2)

Figure 1 is a vertical elevation of a package of filter mats conforming to the invention. Figure 2 is a similar view taken at right angles thereto. Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3 3, Figure 1. Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional vievv of the container with the mats removed. Figures 5 and 6 are vertical elevations of a modified container with the mats removed.

Referring to the drawing, lli designates a tubular container which may be of any suitable material, but preferably of glass or other transparent material, which will permit a View of the filter mats stored within the container. rIhe body it is open at both ends, yand the open ends are normally closed by caps I l, which may be of any desired removable type, but as shown each cap is provided with a plurality of cutnout spring tongues E2, pressed inwardly from the skirt of the cap so as to resiliently bear against the adjacent outer surface of the body lli.

In the form illustrated in Figures l to 4, a longitudinally disposed removable partition P' is axially disposed within the body Iii. Said Ypartition consists of two relatively spaced sheet-like rectangular members I3, which are separated by an interposed resilient member it. These rectangular members 3 and the separator member i4 may be constructed of any desired material, but for the purpose of cheapness combined with eiiiciency, the members i3,are preferably formed of rectangular strips of cardboard of width approximating the internal diameter of body it, and of approximately the same length as the latter. The spacer member is preferably formed of a corrugated strip of cardboard, approximately coextensive in length and width with the cor responding dimension of the partition members.

It will be noted that the partition members E3 are of such a width that when disposed axially Within the tubular body, each member extends transversely across the body, so that the side edges of the partition members Contact with opn posite portions of the inner surface of the tubular body, so as to divide the latter into two chambers l5 of approximately equal dimensions.

The lter mats M are stacked in the two cham-` bers l5 in superposed relation as they are discharged from the die in the manner above described, a stack of said mats and their alternate spacers M being stored within each of said chambers. It will be noted that the mats are of somewhat concavo-convex form, conforming to the shape of the holding members of the nasa filter, which in turn conform to the cross sectional contours of the nasal passages, that is, the convexed edges of the filters engage the wall of the container and the eoncaved edges engage the partition in such manner that the lter pads will normally be prevented from rotation around the axis of the container.

In operation, the corrugated strip i4 tends to separate the two partition members I3, and to move them in diametrically opposite directions, so that the edges of said members I3 wedge firmly against the interior of the tubular body. There is sufficient movement of said members I3, however, to force the stacks of filter mats radially against opposite portions of the inner surface of the body, the tension serving to normally prevent the mats from shaking about during the handling of the container. It is sometimes desirable to store in one container mats of two different sizes, one somewhat smaller than the other. In such instance, the resilient separator member tends to maintain sufficient pressure to hold the smaller mats against movement as well as the larger mats.

The modification illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 differs from the form illustrated in the other gures, principally in that the members I3 and I4 are omitted and a single partition Wall I3a is substituted, said partition wall being practically a duplicate of either wall I3 of the other form. In the modied form, the partition not only serves as a separator to divide the body in the two chambers, but prevents rotation of the mats within the container. However, it is incapable of exerting any radial pressure whatever upon the mats which may be contained within the chambers I5.

In practice, when it is desired to remove a mat, one of the caps I I is removed and the topmost mat is picked up (conveniently by means of a pair of tweezers) and inserted into the proper holding ring of the filter device. The mat may be very easily manipulated and removed from the stack Without disturbing the other mats, because of the definite physical separation of each mat from the others by means of the alternate paper partitions or separators. Each stack of mats, While stored Within its chamber is interposed between top and bottom abutment members I 6, conforming to the shape of the mats, and preferably made of cardboard, so as to maintain sufficient pressure upon the mats to prevent longitudinal movement of the mats within the container during handling of the original package. It will be noted that the resiliency of the material of which the mats are constructed permits a certain amount of compression upon the superposed mats while the caps are in position, so that the mats may be so rmly held that the attractive appearance of the original package is not destroyed during the normal handling thereof.

The advantages of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it belongs. It will be particularly noted that a very simple device is provided by means of which a definite number of nasal filter mats may be placed within a container, and retained therein in such manner as to present an attractive package for the sale of refills, and yet providing such an arrangement of the mats that each one may be conveniently removed from the container without disturbing the others. A further advantage is that by means of the arrangement disclosed mats of different sizes may be stored within the same container and the adjustable partition member will hold both sizes under a resilient tension sufficient to prevent them from shaking about while the package is being handled.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described an operative manner of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the forms of its use, what is claimed is:-

1. A special package of nasal lter mats comprising a cylindrical container body having open ends, an axially disposed elongated at partition wall having side edges in engagement with diametrically opposite portions interior of said body, so as to divide the latter into two equal longitudinally disposed chambers, and stacks of superposed filter mats disposed within the respective chambers, said mats being of approximately concavo-convex shape in plan view and arranged with their convex edges abutting the wall of the container, and their concaved edges resting against the sides of the partition in such manner as to be held against rotation about the axis of the container and removable closures covering the ends of said container.

2. A special package of nasal filter mats comprising a tubular container body having open ends, removable closures for said ends, and a flat partition member disposed axially within the container and in such manner as to divide said body into two longitudinal chambers, stacks of superposed filter mats stored within the respective chambers, said filter mats being of concavo-con- Vex shape in plan View and arranged with the convex portions adjacent the wall of the container and the concaved portions adjacent said partition, said partition including means for applying a radial pressure to the stacks of filter mats while located within said chambers.

3. A special package of nasal filter mats comprising a tubular container body having open ends, a partition member disposed axially within the container in such manner as to divide said container into two equal chambers, stacks of superposed iilter mats in the respective chambers, said lter mats being of concavo-convex shape in plan view and arranged with the convexed portions adjacent the wall of the container and the concaved portions adjacent the partition, said partition being formed of two relatively spaced movable members, and resilient means applying separating pressure upon said members, and means for closing the ends of the container.

4. A container for filter mats comprising a tubular body having open ends, closures for said open ends, an axially disposed removable partition member extending diametrically through the axis of the container and having edge portions engaging the inner surface of the container at opposite positions, said partition consisting of two relatively spaced walls and means between the walls and engaging both of them for exerting an outward separating pressure upon said walls.

5. A container for filter mats comprising a tubular body having open ends, closures for said open ends, an axially disposed removable partition member extending diametrically through the axis of the container and having edge portions engaging the inner surface of the container at opposite positions, said partition consisting of two relatively spaced walls and a corrugated member of resilient material interposed between the partition walls and so constructed and arranged as to apply an outward radial pressure upon said walls tending to separate them.

WAYMAN C. LAWRENCE, JR. 

